UnitedHealthcare protests loss of state employees contract

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — UnitedHealthcare has filed a formal protest to its imminent loss of more than $560 million worth of Rhode Island state employee and retiree health insurance business.

The Providence Journal reports that in a 28-page protest filed with the administration of Gov. Gina Raimondo, UnitedHealthcare alleges the state's "flawed scoring methodology for the cost proposals artificially inflated the cost differentials" between its bid and that of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island.

A state Department of Administration spokeswoman says contract negotiations with Blue Cross Blue Shield continue and the legal protest is pending a decision by the chief purchasing officer.

Blue Cross in a statement said it could not comment on the specifics of UnitedHealthcare's protest but looks forward to the opportunity of administering the state's health benefits.